Tombstone-mold.



N. G. CAMERON.

TOMBSTONE MOLD.

AYPLIOATION FILED 00117, 1911.

1,072,309, 7 Patented Sept.2, 1913. N

NEILL C. CAMERON, 0F DETROIT, TEXAS.

TOMBSTONE-MOLD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented Sept. 2, 1913.

Application filed October 17, 1911. Serial No. 655,195.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEILL G. CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Red River and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Tombstonedvlold, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in a tombstone mold, the primary ob ject of the present invention being the provision of an apparatus whereby a reinforced concrete tombstone may be constructed upon the ground and placed while in a soft condition above the grave and have the inscription placed thereon while in such condition.

A further object of the present invention is the production of an apparatus of simple construction provided with a clamped base forming matrix and a head forming matrix, all of which are made in sections and are connected together, the said head forming matrix being provided with a removable top device which produces the desired shape at the top of the headstone, the complete apparatus being so constructed as to form a receptacle for the plastic concrete and in such a position to permit steel or iron rods to be driven through the mass of plastic material from the base thereof so as to provide the proper reinforcing and metal connection between the base and headstone when the stone is removed from the apparatus.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a section taken longitudinally through the base and head forming portion of the mold and in assembled position.

In describing the present invention the apparatus will be described first and the process later.

' Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the front and rear plates of the base forming matrix provided with the pro jecting ends 1 which project beyond the end plates or boards 2, the said longitudinal strips 3 and transverse strips 4 being connected to the respective front and rear base strips 1 and the and strips 2 intermediate their ends, to form the lower base receptacle B, all of said plates being properly held together by means of the two bolts 5 exterior of the ends 2 and passed through the projecting ends 1 of the plates 1 and are held relative in such locked position by means of the thumb or wing nuts 6.

The longitudinal strips 3 and transverse strips l carried by the base plates provide the central aperture 7 for the reception of the lower end of the headstone matrix H, which consists of the vertical end strips or plates 8, provided with the centrally disposed vertical reinforcing platcs 9, which are exterior of the strips 8 and have their lower ends abutting at 10 the upper face of the transverse strips 1 and said plates 9 are of sullicient width to abut the inner face of the plates 2 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Each one of the plates 9 near their upper ends and very close to the outer face of the plates 8 are provided with the apertures 11 for the reception of the locking bolts 12 which fit through the projecting ends of the binding plates 13 and are held in place relatively to the plates 9 by means of the wing nuts 12. Adapted to co-act with the plates 8 are the longitudinal plates 14 which provide with the said plates 8, the open ended headstone matrix 11 which is in communication with the base matrix B. The material to form the tombstone is placed therein through the base matrix and the device is placed with the upper end of the tombstone matrix downwardly. In order to provide the proper bevel upon the outer edges of the tombstone to prevent the chipping thereof and to impart thereto an ornamental appearance, the triangular in cross section strips 15 are carried by the plates 14]: as clearly shown and in order to seal. the upper end of the headstone matrix H, is a removable plate 16 provided with the curved underside portion 17 which imparts to the upper end of the tombstone head the desired contour, the same being provided with the beveled strips 18 which co-act with the strips 15 of the main matrix to produce the desired ornamental appearance in the tombstone head. The removable closure 1.6 is disposed to slide within the matrix H and thus produce a longer or shorter headstone when desired.

Various strips 15 and heads 16 may be upon the closed end of the tombstone of the head matrix with the base portion B in an upward position. I

In practice the best results have been attained by using the following proportioned mixtures: One part of the Portland cement is mixed with two parts of sand in a dry condition, the same being thoroughly commingled. I

In order to produce a thoroughly white impregnated tombstone, one peek of slaked lime and ten pounds of Spanish whiting, with one spoonful of bluing are mixed thor oughly together and placed within a sack, said sack being made of a straining fabric orburlap, and the said sack containing the above is placed within a barrel of water so as to produce a white fluid. This fluid is now mixed with the cement and sand in lieu of water, and until the whiting or coloring matter thereof thoroughly impregnates the mass. This properly mixed concrete is then placed within the matrices of the apparatus and tamped so as to fill the tombstone matrix II and the base B. A straight edge is then used to level the concrete at the lower edge of the base plates 1 and 2, and two cylindrical rods made of iron or steel and of slightly lesser length than the depth of the two matrices combined, are driven through the concrete mass inside of the plates 9 and until the lower ends are embedded within the base. These rods form a reinforcement and a desired connection between the base and tombstone head and prevent the separation therebetween.

A piece of plate or board is now placed over the open base of the apparatus to seal the concrete therewit-hin, and the said apparatus is turned to the position as shown in Fig. l. a

After the concrete has properly coalesced, one of the front plates lt is removed and while the concrete is in a soft condition the inscription can be placed upon the face of the tombstone head.

After placing the inscription and the proper coalescence of the material of the tombstone has set in the entire apparatus is removed from the core and the surface of the tombstone may now be brushed or polished whilein a soft state.

In practice it has been found desirable to sprinkle the complete concrete tombstone with a liquid containing two parts of lime, and one part of Spanish whiting, this sprinkling occurring at about the third day after the forming of thetombstone with the apparatus. This mixture is not in the form of plastic nor is it free running, but is a semi-liquid so that the mixture will adhere to the outer surface of the tombstone whereby the same may be brushed with a stifi' brush, similar to the polishing of a shoe, and with the mixture as above set forth a smooth white polish will be imparted to the exterior of the stone, the same becoming so thoroughly impregnated with the material of the tombstone as to be permanent and produces a white polishedv exterior.

From the foregoing description taken in connection withthe drawings, it is evident that an apparatus for the'production of tombstones in a practical'manner is'provided and that bythe employment of the formula and process herein stated-,ja tombstone with a polished surface or in fact with any surface desired may be produced, and by reason I v of the apparatus being so readily handled, the tombstone may be formed at the grave and the inscription placed thereon while in a soft or plastic condition.

What is claimed is: 'In a tombstone mold, a base matrix including side and end plates provided intermediate their upper and lower edges with cooperating inwardly ext-ending members defining a continuous marginal flange; a

head stone matrix disposed within the flange 1 outer edges of the brace strips engaging the end platesof thebase matrix to prevent a tilting of the headstone matrix.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature c in the presence :of two witnesses.

NEILL o. omvmnou.

IVit-nesses BEN L. DEVINEY, EUAN D. CAMERON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington,.1). C. 

